SURPRISE, Ariz., March 7 (UPI) -- Ryan Christenson, Gerald Laird and Mike Young belted consecutive homers in the bottom of the eighth inning off Ricardo Rincon Thursday to lead the Texas Rangers to a 5-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
The Rangers fell behind, 1-0, in the second inning when Kevin Mench's throwing error allowed Eric Byrnes to go to third base. Byrnes later scored in a home plate collision with catcher Einar Diaz on a ball hit by Terrence Long. Diaz was charged with an error on the play.
Texas tied it in the bottom of the fourth. Mark Teixeira walked to lead off the inning and went to third on a double by Mike Lamb. Laynce Nix followed with a fly ball to shallow left field, but Long threw past home plate and Teixeira cruised home.
Eric Chavez hit an RBI single in the top of the fifth and scored on a bloop single by Byrnes to give Oakland a 3-1 advantage.
The Rangers knotted it again in the bottom of the inning on Mench's run-scoring single.
Texas starter Doug Davis surrendered one earned run and four hits over 2 1/3 innings. Reliever Aaron Fultz, the fourth pitcher, struck out two and allowed one hit over two scoreless innings to pick up the win. Ray Beasley notched the save with a scoreless ninth.
Aaron Harang, who started for the A's, yielded one run and three hits over four innings.
